Safety-razor.



E. C. MADDEN.

SAFETY RAZOR. APPLICATION Plum JULY 29, 19 10.

1,022,429; Papelitea A ns, 1912.

iii-siren snares Parana canton.

EDWIN c. MADDEN, or sit. tours, MISSOURI.

SAFETY-RAZOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 29, 1910. Serial N 9. 574,542;

Patented Apr. a, rare.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN C. MADDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Safety- .Razors, of which. the following is a full,

clear, and exact-description, such as will-enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to safety razors of the hoe type, namely, razors which comprise a comparatively short blade and comb or guard arranged at an approximately right angle to and adjacent the'upper end of a handle Which the'user holds in his hand during the .operation 'of shaving so as to draw the blade downwardly over the surface being shaved. All of the various safety razors of thistype which are now in general use are intended to be operated by a downward stroke, and if the user desires to shave up or in an opposite direction tothat inwhich thehairs of the beard normally project from the face, he has to invert the handle or turn it upside down-and; then draw the blade upwardly across the beard. It is extremely awkward to shave, with "a safety razor of the hoe type that is held in an inverted posit-ion, Land moreover, .it' -is difficult to accurately control the razor when held in this manner so that the majority of usersof safety razors of this type merely draw the blade downwardly over the face even though theydo not obtain as close I. razor of the hoe type which is so designed that it can be stroked upwardly and downwardly without material y changing the position of the handle.

Another object is to provide a safety razor of the type referred to having two cutting edges and combs or guards-cotiperating with said cutting edges and disposed beard, and

conveniently in such a' manner that one'cutti igedge comb can be used-during the operation'of shaving upwardly or-ag'ainst the beard and the other cutting edge and comb usedduring the operation of shavin'g downwardly or with the beard without inverting the handle of the razor or changing it from the positionin which the handle of the safety.

razor is usually held.

Another object isto provide a substantially hoe-shaped safety razor having a cutting blade which-can be adjusted into different positions so as to enable the user ,to push the blade upwardly or draw it downwardly during the shaving-operation without inverting the handle of the razor.

Other objects and desirablefeatures of my; inventionwill be. hereinafter pointed out.

concerned. whether v the razor is provided with a single-zcuttingedge that can beadjusted in different positions or two separate and distinct cutting edges, one of which is used to shave upwardly or against the beard and the other downwardly or with the if the razor is provided with It is imma erial so far as my broad idea is two separate and distinct cutting edges it is immaterial whether these edges are both formed on az'single blade or on separate blades. The blade or blades of the razor can either be. rigid or they can be flexible or of the wafer type, and the particular means which is employed for supporting the blade or blades and retaining them in operative position is also immaterial so far as my broad idea is concerned,

Figure l of the drawings is a side elevat-ional view, partly in section, of a safety razor constructed in accordance with my invention, and provided with a flexible or wafer bladehaving two separate and dis-' tinct cutting edges; Fig. 2 illustrates the way in which the razor is held during the operation of shaving upwardly or against the beard; Fig. 3 illustrates the way in which the razor is held during the operation' of shaving downwardly or with the beard;'Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a razor embodying my invention and r0- vided with two separate and distinct rigid blades; -Fig.- 5 is a side elevational view of a razor embodying my invention and provided with a rigid blade having two sepaner of adjusting the a downwardly incl top surface-10f the bladesupporting 'vided with a cutting ing plate.

: A. A comb or guard comb or guard 3 the means u'sedin the razor shown in Fig.

6 for retaining the blade in adjusted position; Fig, 9 is a in Fig. 6 but of a slightly different con structionyand Fig. 10 illustrates the manrazor shown in Fig. 9.

Referring to Fi 1 of the drawings, A designates the han le of a razor, and 1 designates a su porting plate on the upper end of said hanfie'which carries a-flexible blade Bformed-from a'thin piece of steel and pro edge 2 that is used during the operation of stroking the razorv downwardly, or with the beard and acutting "edge 3 that is used durlng the operation of stroking the razor upwardly or against the beard, said blade-supporting plate 1 having ined portion which terminates adjacent the "cutting edge .2 and an upwardly inclined portion which termr. nates -adjacent blade ssupporting with the cutting edge 3. The plate 1 is provided guides t which pass through openings in the, blade, and a cap 5 is arranged'over the blade for clamping it tot-he support 1, the under side of said cap conforming to theplate 1 so as to place the blade in tension and securely clamp it in position on said support- The clamping cap 5 is retained in position by-means of a nut 6 mounted on a screw-threaded extension '6 of the handle 2 is arranged below thecutting edge 2 of the blade and a similar is arranged above the cutting edge 3 of the blade, said combs operating to prevent the cuttingedges of the razor while I have formed integr lwardly the-handle A clined portion of the blade-supporting plate 1 and the comb .3? formed integral with" theupwardly inclined portion of the clamping cap '5', I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to this exact construction for the combs could be formed in various other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. v

During the operation of shaving downis held in approximately the position shown Fig.

' in Fig. 2, the handle v front elevational view of an adjustable blade razor of the type shownthe handle A, or,

al with the downwardly in-.

s in bearings 12 'upper end of the handle of the razor. The

3 or at an angle which'will produce the best results so as to cause the cutting edge 2 to remove the beard when Wa rdly,-and whenit is desired to shave upwardly or against the beard the handle A is twisted or turned so as to arrange the cutin operative position, as shown A being thereafter to cause the cutting surface ting edge 3 moved upwardly'so as edge 3 to travel upwardly over the being shaved. v

From the foregoing it will be seen that with my improvedsafety razor .the user does not have to invert the razor or turn the handle upside down when he desires to shave upwardly-or against the beard, and g as the handle ofthe razorv is held in sub-, stantially the same positionfor shaving up} wardly ,a'nd downwardly,

controlledv more accurately than 'is possible with the safety'razors now in general-use.

Instead of ro'viding the razor with a the handle is stroked down-- the razor can be flexible blade; as shown in Fig. 1, the razor can beiprovided with. two separate and distinct rigid blades B and B which are held in operative position on the rigid blade supporting'plated by means of a clamping cap 5, said plate and .cap beingprovidedwith upwardly inclined portions'and downi wardly inclined portions which carry 1 the combs 2 'andi3tthat prevent the edges of the blades B and" B cutting into the cuticle. Theexact incl1na-' supporting plate 1 and clamping cap 5 areimmaterial land rio'us conditionsv or requirements. The razor illustrated in Fig. vided' with a rigidblade Bf having acutting edge 2 that is used duringflthe. operation of shaving downwardly, and .a cutting edge 3 that is used durin the operation 0 ShflV'. ifng upwardly, sai blade bein in operative osition on the bla e-supportw ing plate 1 y'ineans of the cap 5. The plate 1 can e ther be; rigidly connected to if desired, said plate can.

. clampedj v j be connected to the handle by. a knucklejoint 7 of any preferred type soas to enable the blade to be adjusted "at difierent angles with relation to the handle.

'In Fig. 6 I have illustrateda razor embodying my invention which is provided.

with an adjustableblade B" having a singlecutting edgeS. -Said blade is clamped in operative position on a supporting plate 9 by means of a cap 10, and said plate 9 is provided with a shaft lltn vhich is journaled on a yoke13 arranged-at side arms 13 of said yoke. are preferably formed of spring material and are provided the with pairs of projections 1% which fit in .notches formed in devices 15 connected to the shaft 11 so as to retain the blade either in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 7 so as to enable it to be used for shaving downwardly or in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 7 so as to enable it to be used for shaving-upwardly. By pressing the arms 13 of the yoke inwardly or toward each other the projections 14 on said arms will be withdrawn from the cooperating recesses in the devices 15, thereby releasing the shaft 11 and permitting it to be adjusted in the desired position. The blade-supporting plate 9 is provided with a comb or guard 9 which lies under the blade when said plate is adjusted in the position shown in full lines in F ig, 7 and thus prevents the blade from cutting into the cuticle during the op eration of shaving downwardly. When the plate 9 is adjusted in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 7, namely, when the razor is being used to shave upwardly, the guard 9 will lie above the blade and conse quently it will travel in advance of the blade and prevent the edge of same from cutting into the cuticle.

The razor illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 is similar to the one illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 in that it comprises a rigid blade B having a single cutting edge and arranged between clamping members 9 and 10 but instead of journaling the shaft 11 of the blade-supporting plate in the arms of the yoke said shaft is loosely mounted in. a hearing 16 on the upper end of the handle A said bearing being provided with a set screw 17 that is adapted to engage said shaft and thus lock the blade in adjusted position.

- With arazor .of the type shown in Fig. 6 or in Fig. 9 the blade is adjusted in the manner illustrated in full lines in Figs. 7 and IQ upwardly inclined clamping members arwhen it is desired to shave downwardly, and when it is desired to shave upwardly or against the heard the blade'is adjusted in the position shown in broken lines in Figs. 7 and 10, the user holding the handle A in approximately the same position with either adjustment of the blade.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a safety razor, a handle, an upwardly inclined blade arranged adjacent the upper end of the handle, and a guard arranged on the upper side of the blade in such a manner that it travels in advance of the cutting edge of the blade during the op: eration of moving the blade upwardly over the surface being shaved.

2. In a safety razor, a handle, a transversely disposed bladesupporting member arranged adjacent the upper end of the handle and provided with an upwardly inclined portion, a blade mounted on the upwardly guard arranged on the upper side of the blade for protecting the surface being shaved during the operation of moving the blade upwardly over said surface.

3. In a safety razor, a handle, a transversely disposed supporting member arranged adjacent the upper end of the handle and having upwardly and downwardly inclined portions, cutting edges arranged adjacent the ends of said inclined portions, a guard arranged above the cutting edge that is located. adjacent the end of theupwardly inclined portion of said member, and a guard arranged below the cutting edge that is located adjacent the end of the downwardly inclined portion of said member.

4. In a safety razor, a handle, a cutting means arranged adjacent the upper end of' said handle and comprising upwardly and downwardly inclined portions provided the upwardly inclined portion of said means in such a inanner that it travels in advance of the cutting edge thereon, and a guard arranged below the downwardly inclined por tion of said means adjacent the cutting edge thereon.

5. In a safety razor, a handle, a transversely disposed supporting member arranged adjace'nt the upperend of said handle and having upwardly and downwardly inclined portions, a double-edged cutting means carried by said member, a clamping device for retaining said cutting means in position, a guard on said device arranged above one of the cutting edges on said means, and a guard on said supporting member arranged below the other cutting 'edge on said means.

6. A safety razor, comprising a handle,

ranged adjacent the upper end of said handle, a blade interposed between said membersand provided with a cutting edge which is adapted to be .used to shave upwardly without inverting said handle, and a guard on the top clamping member arranged above the blade so that it travels in advance of the blade.

7. A safety razor, comprising a handle, a blade supporting plate on said handle provided with an upwardly inclined portion and a downwardly inclined portion, a double-edged blade on said plate, a cap which clamps said blade in position, a guard on said cap arranged adjacent one-edge of said blade, and a guard on said plate arranged adjacent the other edge of said blade. g j j 8. A safety razor, comprising a handle, a stationary blade-supporting plate on said handle provided with an upwardly inclined portion and a downwardly inclined portion,

with cutting edges, a guard arranged above V 5 one edge thereof, and a guard arranged bea clamping Cap that conforms to the upper face of sand plate, a double-edged flexible blade interposed-between said cap and plate, a guard arranged above said-blade adjacent signature in the presence of two Witnesses this tWenty-sevenfh day of July 1910. EDWIN C. MADDEN.

'VVitnesses: v

WELLS L. (DHUR H, GE GE BA EWE L.

low said blade adjacent the other edge thereof.

In testimony v yhereof I hereunto aflix rny 

